Disability Inclusion: The Key to Future-Ready, Resilient Workforces

Disability inclusion is reshaping global business strategy, driven by market expectations, evolving workforce demographics, and clear evidence that it fuels innovation, business performance, and brand loyalty.

The global business landscape is rapidly changing. Companies are navigating dynamic conditions characterized by shifting stakeholder demands, regulatory standards, workforce, and market variables. Amid these forces, disability inclusion has emerged as a contributing factor in whether companies can truly become future-ready.

Accenture and Disability:IN’s report “The Disability Inclusion Imperative” demonstrates that companies leading on disability inclusion are more likely to outperform their peers. These businesses see, on average: 28% higher revenue, twice as much net income, 30% higher economic profit margins, and 25% more productivity (defined as revenue per employee).

This isn’t a coincidence; it is the result of investing in systems that enable agility, innovation, performance, and sustainable competitive advantage. People with disabilities are often expert problem solvers, creating alternative approaches to overcome challenges. This mindset has proven to be invaluable in business.

By embedding accessibility and disability inclusion into everyday operations, companies are better positioned to anticipate change and respond to new market demands. They also benefit from a workplace segment that is deeply engaged, loyal, and a major contributor to advancing business priorities.

The realities of a modern workforce

As the global workforce shifts, this work is increasingly essential. An estimated 1.6 billion people identify as people with disabilities, and we know that the numbers are likely much higher and growing. Eighty percent of people acquire a disability during their working years, which means disability inclusion is not a side-of-desk initiative but rather a strategic response to the existing realities of a modern, dynamic workforce. Major global brands have embraced and benefited from this market dynamic and serve as a compelling bellwether for others to consider.

Additionally, neurodiversity represents one of the fastest-growing segments of the workforce. Research cites that, by 2040, 40% of the global workforce is expected to identify as neurodivergent, with 53% of Gen Z identifying as neurodivergent. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 identifies the top 10 skills “on the rise” predicted to grow fastest by 2030. Neurodivergent professionals surveyed report high proficiency in the top 10 skills predicted to be the most in demand by 2030.

Furthermore, new research from Disability:IN, highlights how neurodivergent professionals are reshaping human capital management standards. The findings show that communication styles, support needs, AI solutions, and management styles that support neurodivergent employees can lead to greater productivity and higher levels of engagement, not just for some, but for all employees.

Enabling future growth

The data makes the case: Disability inclusion accelerates performance today and prepares organizations for tomorrow. Companies that embrace disability inclusion and accessibility, many of which are Disability:IN members, gain a decisive advantage: attracting the workforce of the future, strengthening their ability to innovate and lead, and positioning themselves for sustainable, long-term growth. Embracing disability initiatives as a growth engine in an evolving global economy is indeed compelling and worthy of further discussion within any business in any market.

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